An Expensive Earth Hour for One Family

A wise blogger asked this question the other day:

How many fires were started because people were burning candles for illumination?

The answer isn't zero:

A Mississauga family who tried to light a candle for Earth Hour nearly burned their Meadowvale townhouse down.

Afshan Khalid, 46, said her 8-year-old daughter tried to light a candle before Earth Hour started at 8:30 p.m. Saturday.

“She was lighting up the candle and we thought it didn’t light up or the match fell somewhere that we didn’t notice and then we left,” said Ms. Khalid. The family was going to see friends and when getting ready, they lighted scented candles so they could see.

While they were gone, Ms. Khalid’s son Omar, 19, came home at 9:30 with a friend, saw smoke and called 911.

“The upper floor is damaged. The central part is all burnt out, smoke damage to all the bedrooms,” said Ms. Khalid.

Platoon Chief Paul Hunter of the Mississauga Fire Department said the fire caused an estimated $15,000 damage.

That's too bad and completely unnecessary. I think next time this family will ignore the envirowackos.

And I'm guessing their carbon footprint was not reduced that night.